The Myth of Normal Illness, Health & Healing in a Toxic Culture

<p><b>We tend to believe that normality equals health. Yet what <i>is</i> the norm in the Western world?</b> <p>Mental illness is on an unstoppable rise. Some 45% of Europeans suffer high blood pressure, and nearly 70% of Americans take at least one prescription drug. Illness and trauma are defining how we live. <p>In his new masterpiece, renowned physician, addiction expert and author Gabor Maté dissects the underlying causes of this malaise - physical and emotional, and connects the dots between our personal suffering and the pressures of modern-day living. Over four decades of clinical experience, Dr Maté has found that the common definition of 'normal' is false: virtually <i>all</i> disease is actually a natural reflection of life in an <i>abnormal</i> culture, as we grow further and further apart from our true selves. But he also shows us the pathway to reconnection and healing. <p>Filled with stories of people in the grip of illness or in the triumphant wake of recovery, this life-affirming book shows how true health is possible - if we are willing to embrace authenticity above social expectations. <i>The Myth of Normal</i> is Gabor Maté's most ambitious, compassionate and urgent book yet.</p>